Chemical fire-extinguishing apparatus.



C. WOKES. CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 19l4.

Patented J une l, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D, CA

CHARLES WOKES, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISI-IING APPARATUS.

mamas.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June il, ilail.

Application :tiled March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,181.

T0 all 'whom it may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES Wenns, of the city of rToronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Chemical Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus; and l hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a fire extinguishing apparatus in which a chemical fire extinguisher is directly connected with the sprinkler system and the water supply, and the object of my invention is to so arrange the apparatus that the withdrawal of part of the solution in the chemical tank through the opening of one or more of the sprinkler heads or the valve-controlled hose pipe will automatically cause the mixing of the chemical solutions in the fire extinguisher for the generation of carbon dioxid which then escapes from said tank through the sprinkler system.

A further object of my invention is to utilize the gas pressure within the fire extinguisher to effect the opening of the valves controlling the passage of the water mains to the sprinkler system.

And a further object of my invention is to provide the fire extinguisher with means iuhich will automatically operate a signal service when the mixing of the chemical solutions occurs.

For an understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l, is a vertical section showing the tire extinguisher connected with the sprinkler system and with the water main, and also showing means whereby an electric signal is automatically operated; Fig. 2, is a vertical section through the valve mechanism controlling the flow of water from the mains, taken on the line a-a, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the acid flask; and Fig. 4C, is a detail of the means for locking the valve for the water main in an open position.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings. "fig-l rlhe chemical tank a may be of any suitable shape and size, and within its upper end are two bearings b in which are journaled the trunnions c of the acid flask d, the trunnions being preferably located at one side of the vertical axial line of the flask so that it will be readily upset, as hereinafter described.

U In the top of the chemical tank is an opening e closed by a removable cover y, the opening being of sufficient size to provide a means of access to the interior of the chemical tank for recharging purposes, and in the top of the tank at one side of the opening e is an orifice g leading to the safety valve h.

ln the side of the tank is a valve-controlled pipe z', the entrance to which is slightly below the top of the acid flask d so that if there should be a leakage from the water main into the chemical tank the overflow will be taken care of before it can rise to the top of the acid tank and set up the generation of carbon dioxid.

At the bottom of the chemical tank is a draw-off cock through which the chemical tank can be emptied whenever desired.

Fitted to the side of the chemical tank a is a pipe 7c forming part of the sprinkler system, and fitted to the pipe are the sprinkler heads Z. The pipe k is provided with a normally open valve m which can be closed to shut off the flow of chemical from said tank to the sprinkler system when so desired.

Fitted to the chemical tank is a valve mechanism controlling the low of water from the water main to the fire extinguisher. This mechanism consists of a valve chamber 0 fitted with an inlet pipe p provided with a check valve g.

The valve chamber o is provided with a valve seat r, between the inlet pipe p and its connection with the chemical tank a for the sliding valve s.

The valve s is provided with a valve rod t mounted in suitable bearings u a and fixed on the valve rod t between the bearings is a diaphragm 'v having a small orifice w through which a leakage of water may occur into the extension of the valve chamber o to balance the pressure on both sides of the diaphragm. The diaphragm c is located on the opposite side of the inlet pipe to the valve seat r and is of relatively greater area than the valve s for the purpose hereinafter described.

The valve chamber o as shown in Fig. 1, extends beyond the diaphragm u and the extension is provided with a relief outlet fr normally closed by a valve y opened by the the conductors i to the signal j.

The acid flask l and the chemical tank a are illed with their respective chemical solutions, the level of the solution in the tank a being of a suliicientheight to maintain the acid ask in a stable upright position. In the event of a lire occurring and either the sprinkler head Z or the hose pipe c being opened, part of the solution in the chemical tank a; Vwill flow out through the pipe 7c and through 'either the sprinkler head or the Y hose pipe. When the solution in the tank a drops below the upsetting point of the acid flask al the latter rotates on its trunnions head downward and empties its contents into the solution within the tank a; carbon dioXid being then generated and the carbonatedrsolution forced out through the sprinkler system or hose pipe, as the case may be.

The pressure of the carbon dioXid forces the liquid in the tank along the pipe z', thereby floating'the valve 2' to its seat, and holding it there while any pressure remains in the tank, as otherwise the gas would blow out past the valve; the same pressure being also exerted on the contact point f to force it into engagement with the contact point g to complete the circuit from the battery h through the conductors c" to the signal j. At the same time that this-is taking place v*the gas pressure in the tank a is exerted Vthrough the pipe b on the diaphragm e and forces the diaphragm s against the valve stem c of the valve g/ and moves the valve away from the valve seat to open the relief outlet so that the contents in the eX- tension of the valve chamber o will flow out through the relief outlet m. Upon the relief of the water in the chamber o, the pressure in theY tank willy force the valve s open. While this is taking place, the contents of the chemical tank fr are flowing out through thesprinkler heads Z, the number of which may be great or small, as the system may require, and the pressure in the chemical tank v 1s, as Y a consequence,

`'rapidly decreasing -When the pressure inv the tank has fallen below the pressure of the water in the inlet pipe 79, the water pressure in that pipe forces the check-valve g away from its seat, thus opening the communication from the inlet pipe p into the chemical tank a, the valve stem t being provided with a suitable locking device 7e which holds the valve s in an open position until it is manually closed again. When the valve s is open and while any chemical solution remains in the tank a, the gas pressure therefrom on the cheek valve g will maintain that valve on its seat and retard the iow of water from the inlet pipe p through the valve chamber o. When the solution in the chemical tank a is exhausted the water pressure in the inlet pipe p will lift the valve g from its seat and low freely through the tank to the pipe 7c of the sprinkler system and from the pipe lo will iiow out through the sprinkler heads.

By means of an apparatus of this kind I am able to discharge carbonio acid gas through the sprinkler system into the burning premises and then automatically open the valve controlling the flow of water from the main, so that when the contents of the re extinguisher have been discharged into such premises the water will ilow out through the sprinklers.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a lire extinguishing apparatus, the combination of a chemical tank, a valve chamber connected therewith having an inlet and a waste outlet, a valve mechanism within the valve chamber comprising a valve between the inlet and chemical tank, a rod for said valve, a diaphragm on the valve rod between the inlet and the waste outlet, said diaphragm having an orifice through which a leakage may occur into the valve chamber beyond the diaphragm, a valve controlling the waste outlet, a pressure chamber, a diaphragm therein for actuating the waste outlet valve, a connection between the pressure chamber and the chemical tank whereby the generation of gas within the chemical tank will automatically aetuate the diaphragm in the pressure chamber to open the waste outlet valve for the operation of the valve controlling the passage through the inlet to the chemical tank.

Toronto, March 26th, 1914.

CHARLES VVOKES. Signed in the aresence of- CHAs. H. IcHEs, STANLEY RIoHns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of yatenta y Washington, D. C. 

